[PP-F1] Kingdom of Rats

[Glow 0]

Quietly making his way down the twisting alleyways of the familiar city, Glow hummed a tune as he checked the message he had sent to Teion. 

From: Glow

To: Teion

Heyo Teion! Just writing this because I found something odd within the area where I was going through one of my quests - specifically <<Earning a Living>>. Seems there's some kind of mini-dungeon within the shop I went to, and the mobs there seem to be tougher than the ones normally on this floor. It appeared quite desolate, so might be a new find; up for a bit of dungeon crawling? If you wanna tag team it up again, I guess I'll meet you by the Strummed Harmony music shop; it's near the alley we went down when I met you! See you there if you wanna come along, I guess!

Whether Teion came down or not, he was planning on making a quick excursion down into the tunnels to see what they were like, and what to expect further within the rat-infested area. However, if he had some assistance with the combat, then the party might be able to fully clean the area out; after all, it was only a Floor 1 dungeon, despite some of the mobs there being stronger than usual. Hopefully there would be some sweet loot to top it off, but that was wishful thinking in the game. Better to have it as an afterthought than an expectation. Flicking the GUI away from his vision, he took a look down the street, and a smile briefly crossed his face as he noticed the familiar store.

[Teion 0]

"Ahh~" A deep breath of air left Teion as she stretched her arms above her head, standing on tips of her toes for a brief moment. She couldn't supress the yawn that came afterwards, bringing a hand up to cover her mouth. She surveyed the open area of thr first floor. It was less crowded than usual, which she was thankful for. There were mostly NPCs going about their routines, with an occasional group of players passing through. Suddenly a notification beeped to alert her of a message, and she quickly opened her menu in curiosity. She read over the message from Glow, a smile forming on her lips as she typed out her reply. 'I'm not far, actually. I'll be there soon!' A light giggle escaped her as she was eager to find out more about this dungeon he had found. She looked around a moment to get her bearings before heading in the direction of the music shop.

[Glow 0]

Arriving at the shop, Glow hummed a tune quietly as he took a brief glance around the shop; no one appeared to be here quite yet. Guess it was time to wait for a bit. Making his way over to the wall of the shop, the teen turned around before leaning against the solid wall, closing his eyes and relaxing as he listened out for anyone approaching, while tapping the beat to his hummed song with one of his hands. He had only recently sent the message to Teion; he shouldn't expect her to be here quite yet. Of course he'd get to the music shop first. 'Stop being paranoid, brain.'

[Teion 0]

A slight smile rested on Teion's lips as she approached the Strummed Harmony music shop. She vaguely remembered passing by it in the past, but never ventured inside. She slowed her pace once the building came into view, scanning the people nearby until she spotted a familiar face. Walking up to meet the light-haired boy, Teion grinned and waved. "Glow, long time no see!" She greeted him and surveyed the shop behind him. "Soo I take it you've done the Performer quest?" She inquired.

[Glow 0]

Tapping a beat onto the tough surface, Glow hummed quietly to himself as he waited for Teion to arrive. Hearing footsteps approaching, he briefly tensed up, before turning towards it and relaxing as he saw the visage of the person; she'd arrived. Giving a smile at the friendly greeting, he waved back, nodding as she questioned him about his new profession. "Yup; all done and finished now. Haven't made my shop or started development yet, but got the guitar to mess around on so that's good enough for me." The teen stated, pushing himself off the wall. "And as you read, I found something a little... interesting while doing the quest. Wanna go take a look within?"

[Teion 0]

Teion grinned at the thought of a hidden dungeon on the first floor. She hoped the two of them would be able to take it on by themselves, but she had a level advantage on the area, so as long as the mobs weren't too powerful, they should be fine. "Yep! Let's go for it." She spoke with confidence, pushing the door to the shop open. As they entered, Teion stepped aside for Glow to lead the way. She looked around the humble shop, spotting the owner milling about, simply being an NPC. Her eyes scanned the walls and displays as she looked at all the instruments laid out. A part of her was eager to see Glow open his shop. The thought of listening to his music brought a calm smile to her face. She couldn't help wondering what different types of effects the Performers' songs gave. 'I really need to start investing in temporary buff items...'

[Glow 0]

Smiling at the confident sentiments, Glow nodded in answer, before following Teion into the shop. Seeing her move to the side, he briefly paused before slinking through the gap offered, waving at the shopkeeper. "Hey, old man. Just gonna look around the basement for a bit; that cool with you?" The NPC looked over briefly, before waving the pair off towards said cellar. "Thanks!" The teen replied, before making his way through the familiar shop to the back room, past the grizzled musician and towards a sturdy wooden trapdoor. Turning around to Teion, Glow struggled with his own social reluctance and need to try and make things entertaining before deciding on the latter, holding the hatch open with one hand before making an exaggerated bowing gesture with the other. "We have arrived at your destination, madam. Hope you enjoyed your trip with Glow airlines." As soon as he finished the statement, he visibly cringed at his own terrible humour. Well, at least that's one thing that definitely didn't change between his old life and his new one in Sword Art Online; he was still horrendous at anything resembling comedy, except being a joke himself. He frowned at his own negative thoughts, before mentally shrugging it off, and trying to manage a grin but creating a twisted abomination of an expression than made him look more confused than anything else. 'Bleh. Social activity.'

[Teion 0]

ID#: 41424

LD: 5+2=7 (no loot)

Teion continued gazing idly around the room, admiring displays of instruments and accessories before Glow's movement brought her attention back to their task at hand. Cocking her head in curiosity, she watched as he opened up a door leading to what looked like a cellar. With his exaggerated motions, she stifled a chuckle and her expression shifted at the awkward joke. Her features settled on a light smile, appreciating the attempt, and she took a couple of steps forward to peek inside. She took a nervous step to find the first stair. She resisted the urge to glance back towards her party member, steeling herself to continue onwards. When she reached the bottom, she squinted to see clearly in the poor light. She couldn't see much besides some old crates and cobwebs. Calling back to Glow, who she assumed wasn't far behind, she spoke up. "I can't see much, but it doesn't look so bad. This is the dungeon?"

Edited December 7, 2015 by Teion

[Glow 0]

Smile picking up a bit at Teion's own one in response to his joke, Glow pushed the hatch a bit higher to make some extra space. Seeing a slight hesitance from the woman, he winced; maybe he should have gone first and made sure the ladder was stable and all that? It was silly, considering he had far less HP and defensive capabilities in comparison to the more experienced player, but...

Shaking his head quickly, he tried to rid the thoughts from his mind; he was overthinking this. Pushing the trapdoor fully open (he'd rather not get hit in the face by it when returning, this time), he clasped his hands around the wooden rungs and made his own way down the ladder. With the question from Teion reaching him as he jumped off the last few rungs and hit the floor, he pondered over the question for a moment before shaking his head. Realizing that she would be unable to see the gesture in the light, he berated himself quietly in muttered words before starting up. "No; at least, I don't think so. This space was reasonably safe before, only a few weaker enemies. The entrance was somewhere around here, into a network of tunnels, although I'm not sure if those were just corridors or the actual dungeon." He stated, eyes blinking to try and acclimatize to the darker light. That was one annoying thing about the game; his sensitive eyesight still applied to harsh sunlight, but of course he loses his above-average night vision and needs to actually train it.

That was just unfair.

Turning towards the vague shadow of the other figure, he continued. "So, uh... should we just have a look around for now?" He questioned the other player.

[Teion 0]

• ID#: 41703
• LD: 19-1 (Darkness) +2=20 (1 crafting material) (1 mat total)

"Hmm, alright..." Teion spoke quietly, responding to Glow without providing much substance. She cautiously drew her axe--not having the Night Vision skill left both of them at a disadvantage to any monsters who dwelled here, and even though they were only on the first floor she didn't want to have her guard down. She walked along at a slow pace, keeping close to a line of crates that were stacked up against a wall. She scanned the area as much as she could, only able to see clearly for a short distance in front of her. She sighed lightly, a bit frustrated with the restriction. It was annoyingly similar to a darkness one could encounter in real life, and Teion wasn't much of a fan of impaired senses. Running her fingertips over the sides of a couple of wooden crates, she frowned and pulled away, rubbing the artificial dust between her fingers. At the same moment, a sparkle caught her eye and she slowed to kneel down and pick up a small bauble. A dialogue box claimed the item was a decorative jewel to be used in crafting. With a pleasantly surprised smile, she dropped the item in her inventory.

Edited December 11, 2015 by Teion

[Glow 0]

[ID: 41826]

[Loot: 17]

Following Teion into the darkness, Glow gave a brief look around the blackened room, squinting slightly to attempt to gain a glimpse of his surroundings but not really gaining any information - it was just too dark. Hearing the other member of the party withdraw her weapon, the teen quickly followed suit, flicking his hands down to unsheathe the claws with a slightly eerie ringing noise, the tri-bladed gauntlets giving him some sense of comfort. A small shimmer glints in the corner of his eye, and he snatches out his hand towards it, before drawing it back in from the nearby crate, examining the object in his hand; it appeared to be another one of those recording crystals that he had to gather before. 'Nice.'

A small scuffle rings from somewhere in the inky blackness within the cellar, and Glow's head snaps to staring at its origin, frozen in place as he tries to listen out for any further noises.

Edited December 12, 2015 by Glow

[Teion 0]

Teion tensed as the same shifting noises reached her ears. She slowed to a stop, keeping a hand against one of the wooden boxes as she tried her best to scan the inky blackness for the source of the sound. After a moment of silence, another noise could be heard, this time recognizable as the patter of small clawed feet on wooden floors. Teion gripped the handle of her axe tightly, watching intently until a large rat made itself visible before them. It was far bigger than a real world rat, and as it sniffed the air above it she could see its massive, long teeth hanging down. The sight of the creature caused her to make a face, but she lifted her weapon as she spotted the red cursor above its head. Just before she initiated the combat, two identical rats scurried up next to it, and she hesitated a moment. Squinting, she thought she could make out the glowing eyes of a fourth monster behind them.

Taking in a deep breath, Teion glanced back to Glow and flashed a confident grin. "Well, guess it's time to get to rat slaying." She looked back at the mobs in front of her and readied her axe, the blade starting to shine a bright blue. As the sword art gained power, she rushed forward, getting within range of the rats and swinging in a wide arc, cleanly hitting them all and beginning to drain their health bars. After exhausting over half of her energy pool, she frowned as she realized she'd probably be limited to single-target strikes for the rest of the fight.

--Combat Details--

  Hide contents

Pack of 4 Lurker Rats-- HP: 20 DMG: 3 MIT: 5

• ID#: 41891
• BD: 7 - 1 (Darkness) = 6 (Success)
  • Lumberjack Activated
• MD: 2 (Fail)
• Teion's HP: 40/40
  • EP: 10/10 -> 4/10
• Glow's HP: 16/16
  • EP: 4/4
• Lurker Rats' HP: (4 * 3 = 12 - 5 = 7 AoE DMG)
  • #1: 13/20
  • #2: 13/20
  • #3: 13/20
  • #4: 13/20
• Hate: Teion (1), Glow (0)

Edited December 12, 2015 by Teion

[Glow 0]

[ID: 41964]

[Battle: 7]

[Sword Art activated: Primal Burst (1x1)]

Watching the beady eyes assemble into an unsteady formation before Teion, Glow remained behind the other player for the first strike. 'These ones seem stronger than the rats I had to face before...' He pondered dubiously, but nevertheless waited for Teion's axe to come striking across the foes, cutting their health down dramatically. Weaving through the panicked creatures, he slashed his arms out in a breaststroke-like pattern, clawing at all the rats around him with an eerie red glow slashing through them all. Turning around with the momentum gained from the movement, he let out a disappointed sound as it did... well, practically nothing.

 

[Teion: 40/40] [4/10]

[Glow: 16/16] [2/4]

[Lurker Rats: 2*1 - 5 = 1]

[#1 = 13 - 1 = 12/20]

[#2 = 13 - 1 = 12/20]

[#3 = 13 - 1 = 12/20]

[#4 = 13 - 1 = 12/20]

Edited December 14, 2015 by Glow

[Teion 0]

The rats must have not expected the area damage from both of them, as they flailed about in an attempt to strike Teion with their claws and fangs. She dodged and deflected each attack, draining the rest of her energy with another sword art. She came down on the closest rat with three quick strikes, dropping its health with a critical hit. Her axe applied a bleed effect to the monster, and with a grin, she called back to Glow, "Nice! Don't worry about that one--it'll drop next turn."

With the combat highly in their favor, Teion took another grip of her axe and set her sights on the second rat. She prepared for Glow's next attack, ready to follow up with a normal swing.

--Combat Details--

 

Spoiler

Pack of 4 Lurker Rats-- HP: 20 DMG: 3 MIT: 5

• ID#: 42002
• BD: 9 - 1 (Darkness) = 8 (Critical success)
  • Ultimate Breaker Activated
• MD: 4 (Fail)
• Teion's HP: 40/40
  • EP: 4/10 -> 1/10
• Glow's HP: 16/16
  • EP: 2/4
• Lurker Rats' HP: (4+1* 3 = 15 - 5 = 10 DMG)
  • #1: 12/20 -> 2/20 (Bleed 2)
  • #2: 12/20
  • #3: 12/20
  • #4: 12/20
• Hate: Teion (3), Glow (1)

Edited December 13, 2015 by Teion

[Glow 0]

[ID: 42066]

[BD: 8 - 1 (darkness) = 7: SUCCESS]

"Well... I, uh, guess I'll just keep poking them a bit..." Glow murmured quietly, somewhat downput at the minimal damage he was outputting but continuing nonetheless. Performing the motion once again, he cut through the panicking rats as they tried to leap away from Teion, managing to prevent their escape despite the little movement of their HP. A grin quickly replaced their previous expression. "Yo, Teion! Batter up!" He shouted, as one of the large creatures fell through the air towards her.

[Teion: 40/40] [1/10]

[Glow: 16/16] [0/4 (2/4 - 2)]

[Lurker Rats: 1*1 - 5 = 1]

[#1: 1/20 (BLEED 2)]

[#2: 11/20]

[#3: 11/20]

[#4: 11/20]

[Hate: Teion(3), Glow(2)]

Edited December 14, 2015 by Glow

[Teion 0]

The falling creature cause a blur of motion, and despite Teion's best attempt, her swing didn't make contact with the monster. "Gah!" She fumbled, quickly regaining her balance as the rat hit the ground with a thud. Luckily, the bleed damage continued to tick and brought its health to zero. Before it was able to stand, the rat let out a squeal and shattered into pixels. Teion soon grinned, despite her failed attack, and she took a deep breath. "One down!" She readied herself for another attack.

--Combat Details--

  Hide contents

Pack of 4 Lurker Rats-- HP: 20 DMG: 3 MIT: 5

• ID#: 42188
• BD: 3 - 1 (Darkness) = 2 (Fail)
• MD: 1 (Critical fail)
• LD: 16+4=20 (2 crafting materials, 100 col)
• Teion's HP: 40/40
  • EP: 1/10 -> 0/10
• Glow's HP: 16/16
  • EP: 2/4
• Lurker Rats' HP: 
  • #1: 1/20 -> 0/20 (Bleed 1) -Dead-
  • #2: 11/20
  • #3: 11/20
  • #4: 11/20
• Hate: Teion (3), Glow (2)

Edited December 22, 2015 by Teion

[Glow 0]

[ID: 42362]

[Battle: 6 - 1 = 5(fail)]

Glow winced slightly at the somewhat amusing attempt gone wrong - at least the enemy was finished from the passive. "S-sorry!" He shouted to Teion, before turning back towards the rats that had fallen earlier. The teen briefly went onto all fours, claws digging into the surface below him before leaping towards one of them, trying to deal something except one damage with a stronger attack.

He succeeded, in that he completely missed due to the darkness and nearly went face-first into a wall, only narrowly dodging out of the way of it and rolling to minimize the backlash of the action, cursing repeatedly as he had to dodge one of the rats attempting to leap onto him in turn.

 

[Teion: 40/40] [0/10]

[Glow: 16/16] [0/4]

[Lurker Rats: 0]

[#2: 11/20]

[#3: 11/20]

[#4: 11/20]

[Hate: Teion(3), Glow(2)]

Edited December 17, 2015 by Glow

[Teion 0]

Teion gave her axe a twist and swung back towards the group. Her attack was too high, and the rats scurried around, scattering around in circles before grouping back together. Teion growled under her breath, "Augh, this is taking longer than I thought." She grumbled. Luckily, the rats were having even worse luck than them. Their claws swiped at Teion's legs, but she had no trouble dodging their attacks. She heaved a small sigh, hefting her axe to her shoulder in preparation for yet another attack.

--Combat Details--

  Hide contents

Pack of 4 Lurker Rats-- HP: 20 DMG: 3 MIT: 5

• ID#: 42456
• BD: 5 - 1 (Darkness) = 4 (Fail)
• MD: 4 (Fail)
• Teion's HP: 40/40
  • EP: 0/10
• Glow's HP: 16/16
  • EP: 0/4
• Lurker Rats' HP: 
  • #1: 0/20 -Dead-
  • #2: 11/20
  • #3: 11/20
  • #4: 11/20
• Hate: Teion (3), Glow (2)

Edited December 22, 2015 by Teion

[Glow 0]

[ID: 42581]

[Battle: 8 - 1 = 7]

Having to deal with attacks flying his way as well, Glow slowly backed off from the closest rat, swiping his claws to keep the creature at a distance. Spotting a chance, he lunged forwards, cleaving the blades forwards against the opponent's flank. Knowing that the damage dealt would be minimal, he quickly leaped backwards, pushing off the rat with his feet to knock it away from him and to get some distance. Looking at the health bar of the opponent, he grimanced. One damage again.

[Teion: 40/40] [0/10]

[Glow: 16/16] [0/0]

[#2: 10/20 (-1)]

[#3: 11/20]

[#4: 11/20]

[Hate: Teion (3), Glow (3)]

Edited December 19, 2015 by Glow

[Teion 0]

"Ugh, we're not doing anything at this rate..." Teion mumbled, seeing both of them hardly doing any damage when they managed to hit. The girl sighed, putting up her guard against the creatures as they prepared to attack. Looking like she had an idea, she spoke up again. "I'm going to let my energy recharge. It might take a minute, but a good sword art should finish these things off." She called to Glow. The rats themselves finally managed to get a hit in as well, but their claws hardly made a mark against her armor, only dropping her HP by a few points.

--Combat Details--

  Hide contents

Pack of 4 Lurker Rats-- HP: 20 DMG: 3 MIT: 5

• ID#: 42456
• MD: 8 (Success)
• Teion's HP: (3 - 6 MIT = 1 * 3 = 3 DMG)
  • 40/40 -> 37/40
  • EP: 0/10 -> 1/10
• Glow's HP: 16/16
  • EP: 0/4
• Lurker Rats' HP: 
  • #1: 0/20 -Dead-
  • #2: 10/20
  • #3: 11/20
  • #4: 11/20
• Hate: Teion (3), Glow (3)

Edited December 22, 2015 by Teion